Disclaimer: The Power Rangers and their world is not mine.
Things can change drastically in five years, Blake Bradley mused as he approached the hidden entrance to the Thunder Ninja Academy. The racing season was over and he was looking forward to the change in pace. He walked through the entrance and was going to go in search of Hunter when he heard two ear piercing screams. Dropping his duffel bag and going into a defensive stance did not help a bit as he was suddenly bowled over by two laughing women with huge grins on their faces.
"Blake!" Marah yelled before peppering his face with kisses and Blake couldn't help breaking into a wide grin at her happy shout.
Kapri, meanwhile, had snuggled up to his side and laid her head on his shoulder as Blake moved around until he had his arm slung around her. The two nieces of Lothor had come through and although they both trained at the Wind Ninja Academy, they lived over at the Thunder Academy under the protection of Hunter and Omino Sensei. Blake had never really questioned this before, but as he lay squashed under the two giggling sisters, he wondered how they would react to his news.
"Let him up, girls," Hunter's sardonic voice came from above, "and you, bro, some ninja you are getting taken down by these two." The girls popped up and Kapri grabbed Blake's duffel bag. Hunter extended a hand and pulled his younger brother into a manly hug. "Good to have you here. One of my instructors has the flu. You can fill in." Blake rolled his eyes. "How long you here for?"
Blake shrugged, "Season is over," he said non-committal fashion as he looked over his brother. Hunter had taken over the duties as head instructor of the Thunder Academy. Although Omino Sensei was head of the school, it was well know that Hunter was being groomed to take over when Sensei deemed him ready. "How's the school going?"
Hunter shrugged, "Good, we have got some great students and some great teachers. The student and teacher exchange with the wind ninja school and that has been working out really well."
"You look tired," Blake commented, recognizing the look of exhaustion.
Hunter just grinned, "No rest for the wicked. And speaking of wicked. . ." Hunter trailed off indicating the two sisters that had absconded with Blake's bag.
"Hey, hey, what are you doing?" Blake said coming up to where they had started to spread the contents of his bag all over the tatami mats of a meditation room.
"I bet this is for Tori," Kapri said pulling out a little jewelry box and shaking it next to her ear, "do you think it's a ring?"
"I think this is for Shane," Marah said pulling out a bright red shirt with a famous biking logo on the front, "and this is for Cam," a green shirt went flying, "and this is for," she paused looking up curiously at Blake.
Blake sighed as Hunter disguised a laugh as a cough and they both entered the room. "That's for Watanabe Sensei. He loves old martial arts films," Blake said as he extended his hand for the jewelry box that Kapri was still shaking. He opened the box and showed the girls a pretty pewter broach. "This is for Grandma." He dug into the bag and came up with the presents he brought for the girls and Hunter. "These are for you."
He handed two long flat jewelry boxes to Marah and Kapri who opened their presents with wide eyes. The boxes held gold necklaces with little enameled charms. Marah slipped the necklace over her head and cradled the yellow earth ninja symbol in her hand. "Look, Hunter," Kapri said with a grin proudly displaying her green samurai star.
Blake then tossed two leather bound journals to Hunter. "Teaching journals, very nice," Hunter said with appreciation as he looked at the symbol of the horned beetle on the cover, "but why two?"
Blake tilted his head and gave his brother a small smile, "Why don't you look?"
Hunter shifted the bottom volume to the top and froze. "Does this mean what I think it means?"
Blake stood and formally bowed to Hunter, "Sensei, I am offering myself as a permanent instructor to the Thunder Ninja Academy."
Hunter was speechless for a moment and the sisters held their breath. "Any time, any how, any way we can get you to stay here and teach is good for me, Blake," Hunter said with a huge grin and as Blake straightened, Hunter moved in to give him a bruising back slapping hug. Blake smiled and hugged his brother back, before two squealing girls jumped on them knocking them to the ground and squashing the air out of them.
Blake had been at the Thunder Academy for two days and although he loved Hunter like a brother, he was ready to kill him. Blake was in shape. During his time in Factory Blue, he ran daily, practiced his martial arts forms where he could and used the fitness equipment of whatever hotel they were staying at. He often visited other martial arts schools and worked out or used his membership at a national chain of gyms, but on the third morning, his body ached. His major muscle groups had knots and his minor muscle groups had knots on top of those knots.
"Rise and shine, bro, it's another wonderful day to run you through the gauntlet," Hunter's cheerful voice came from the doorway of his room.
"Hunter, I would kill you, but I don't think I can move with all the pain I am in," Blake said with a grimace as he rolled over to his side, every muscle in his body protesting. "I swear the Wind Academy air course wasn't that hard before."
"We beefed ours up," Hunter replied.
"We?"
"Shane and I did about six months ago. Ran us all through it a couple of times, too. Tori and Dustin complained for a week," Hunter said reaching out a hand to pull his brother to his feet.
"What about you and Shane?" Blake asked grimacing and starting to stretch.
"Well, we designed the course for air ninjas. He showed me where I can a get a little boost to help me along," Hunter grinned at the scowl Blake sent his way and shrugged, "Hey; you should see what Tori did to the water course."
"Tori worked on our water course?" Blake asked.
"We're off!" Kapri and Marah stuck their heads around the door and looked at the Thunder brothers. "We should be back for dinner."
"Hey, Marah, you o.k.?" Blake asked. She seemed kind of deflated, not the happy, bubbly Marah that had spent the weekend with them. She nodded and gave him a weak smile and a wave as Kapri pulled her away from the doors.
Blake looked at Hunter but Hunter just shook his head and said, "She's fine and if not, it's something that she has to work to figure out herself."
"You know what it is?" Blake asked.
Hunter nodded and said, "I think the solution is coming sooner than we think. Come on, you get to take the students through the water course today. Should be easier than what I've been putting you through for the past couple of days."
"Yeah," the Navy ranger replied with one more back cracking stretch, "It's been a long time, bro."
"That's o.k.," Hunter replied with a smile, "You'll get it together. I arranged some . . . motivation."
"Motivation?" Blake asked entering the cafeteria where both he and Hunter made a pit stop to where Grandma sat at the table for the youngest students where she dispensed lessons on meal etiquette. After a quick greeting and a peck on the cheek the brothers moved to a table where some of the older students sat.
After Hunter had moved back to the Thunder Academy, he made arrangements for their Grandmother to move into the school with him. Once there, the little woman watched over the ninja students as if they all were her grandchildren. She would often knit and watch the ninjas practice from a small pagoda on the lawn. She would take over the kitchen occasionally and get a bunch of students to mass produce cookies with her. Her health had steadily improved and she soon became a necessary part of the academy. All students and even many of the teachers went to her with their problems where she dispensed love, advice and cookies with a deft hand.
"Yup, and there she is now," Hunter said nodding his head towards where Grandma still sat.
Blake turned and drew in a quick breath. A blond haired angel was pecking Grandma on the cheek and ruffling the hair of the boy sitting next to the older woman. Her familiar smile radiated through the room as she listened attentively to what they young student was saying to her. When the boy turned back to his breakfast, the young woman straightened and began to slip through the room, saying hello to students, clasping shoulders and patting backs. She scanned the room and she froze when her blue eyes met his brown ones. She started running and Blake stood taking a few steps before a laughing bundle of beautiful woman landed in his arms. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent, before all his aching muscles protested and he gasped in pain.
"Oh, my God, Tori, don't take this the wrong way, but you gotta let me go before I pass out," Blake breathed.
"What! You're hurt?" Tori said with a cry, "What happened?"
"The new air course," Hunter said in smug satisfaction.
Tori shook her head placing her hands on her hips. She frowned at Hunter, "One would think that after all these years, you guys would finally grow up, but clearly that is not the case." Tori placed her hands on Blake's shoulders and for a brief moment her hands glowed and Blake felt like a wave of warm water flowed over his body taking a huge portion of the aches and pains away.
"Wow, where'd you learn that?" Blake said impressed.
"Sensei has had me work on my healing skills," Tori said with a grin. "It's good to see you again. Dustin told us about the Factory Blue autograph signing this weekend at Stormchargers. I- we didn't know you were back here." Her smile dimmed a little, before she took a steadying breath.
"I surprised Hunter, too," Blake said softly, "I've only been back a couple of days and was catching up with Hunter and Grandma. I'm sure Kapri and Marah are telling the guys all about my return."
"And Tori, you are in no position to talk about how us guys are petty and competitive," Hunter said with a slight growl.
"Just because you haven't made it trough the water course without getting wet is no reason to growl at me, Hunter," Tori said loftily.
"I bet I can make it trough without getting wet," Blake said with a cocky grin, in the familiar sibling competitive teasing of his youth.
"I wouldn't be too sure, thunder boy," Hunter responded.
"It's just a simple little water course," Blake mocked.
"Uh, Blake-" Tori tried to break into the conversation.
"I did make it through the 'beefed up' air course. I bet the water course is a snap."
"What are you betting?" Hunter asked suddenly serious.
"Blake-," Tori said worriedly.
"What do you want?" Blake asked.
"You have to take over all my teaching rotations to the Air Academy for the next six months," Hunter said.
"You're on." Blake said and the two brothers shook hands.
Tori put a hand to her forehead, "That was particularly unfair, Hunter," she chided.
Hunter just grinned at her in a superior manner, "You got suckered, Blake," he said to the navy ninja, "Tori can't even make it through the course without getting wet."
"What?" Blake asked looking at Tori with a wild look in his eyes.
"I can too, Hunter," Tori retorted before sighing and addressing Blake, "I designed the course so that the students would get wet. It takes agility, speed and balance to get through the course. Really advanced water ninjas can get through the course dry, but it takes real effort, even for me. It is not a competition to see who can get through the course without getting wet, that's just how the guys try and do it. All with spectacular failures, I may add."
"I almost made it," Hunter protested.
"Yes, by using Dustin as a stepping stone, Shane as an umbrella and Cam to carry you up the slope. While I admire the ingenuity, you still got wet," Tori said with a grin as she ruffled his already messy hair. She looked at Blake, "Cam lost his grip and they went plunging into the base of the waterfall managing to knock both Shane and Dustin off the cliff on their way."
Blake snorted in laughter before realizing that his brother had suckered him into a losing bet. "Hey!" he shouted at Hunter, "That was not fair."
Hunter just grinned, "All's fair in love and war, Bro. All's fair."